(Wilmington, DE 19808)- On Thursday, March 19, 2026, at approximately 12:06 p.m., officers with the New Castle County Division of Police responded to a motor vehicle collision involving a pedestrian in the area of Oregon Road and Nebraska Road within the Park Place Trailer Park community.

The pedestrian, later identified as 32-year-old Maliq Smith-Lemon of Wilmington, was not injured. Following the collision, Smith-Lemon confronted the driver, escalating the situation by physically striking the vehicle, demanding the driver exit, and making threats of violence.

Upon officers’ arrival, it was determined that Smith-Lemon would be taken into custody. As officers attempted to detain him, he fled on foot but was quickly apprehended in the 4600 block of Haverford Place. While being placed into a patrol vehicle, Smith-Lemon engaged in multiple physical altercations with officers, resulting in minor injuries to the officers.

After Smith-Lemon was secured in the patrol vehicle, a concerned citizen called 911 to report that a firearm may have been discarded during the foot pursuit. Officers returned to the area and recovered a handgun in a nearby parking lot. Further investigation revealed that Smith-Lemon is prohibited from possessing a firearm due to a prior felony conviction in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Smith-Lemon was transported to New Castle County Police Headquarters, where he continued to resist and engaged in a physical altercation with two additional officers, causing another minor injury.

Smith-Lemon has been charged with the following offenses:

• Three felony counts of Assault Second Degree (injury to a law enforcement officer)
• Three felony counts of Resisting Arrest
• One felony count of Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony
• One felony count of Possession of a Firearm by a Person Prohibited
• Two misdemeanor counts of Offensive Touching (law enforcement)
• One misdemeanor count of Terroristic Threatening
• One misdemeanor count of Disorderly Conduct
• One misdemeanor count of Harassment
• One misdemeanor count of Offensive Touching
• One misdemeanor count of Criminal Mischief

Smith-Lemon was arraigned at Justice of the Peace Court 11 and committed to the Howard R. Young Correctional Institution on $88,300.00 cash bail.

Maliq Smith-Lemon – 32

On Saturday, March 21, 2026, at approximately 5:54 p.m., a New Castle County Police officer on patrol at the Christiana Mall located a parked, unoccupied Nissan Rogue near Target. The vehicle had been reported stolen during a carjacking on March 6, 2026, from Gull Turn in the Sparrow Run Townhouse community.

While continuing to monitor the vehicle, the officer observed a juvenile enter the driver’s seat of the stolen vehicle. Officers immediately detained the individual, along with three other juveniles who were with him at the time.

The suspect was identified as a 17-year-old male from Wilmington, Delaware.

Meanwhile, at approximately 6:45 p.m., the Delaware State Police responded to the Christiana Mall for an unrelated robbery that had just occurred. Please see the link below for additional information regarding that incident.

The three accompanying juveniles were later released without charges.

The 17-year-old male was transported to New Castle County Police Headquarters and charged with the following offense:

• One felony count of Receiving Stolen Property (over $1,500)

The 17-year-old male was arraigned by Justice of the Peace Court 11 and released on $1,500 secured bail.

(Newark, DE 19713) – On Thursday, March 19, 2026, at 11:45 a.m., Officers responded to the Brookside Shopping Center on the unit block of Marrows Road after a report that a victim had been struck in the face by an unknown projectile, initially believed to be a paintball. Officers obtained descriptions of two suspects, reportedly wearing dark clothing and ski masks, and relayed the information to responding units.

While responding, Officers spotted two juvenile suspects matching the provided descriptions at the intersection of Marrows Road and Kimberton Drive and conducted a stop. During the investigation, a gel blaster toy gun and a bottle containing additional gel rounds were found in one suspect’s book bag.

The suspects later told Officers they had been walking through the area when they saw the victim standing along the side of the building. One suspect suggested shooting the victim with the gel blaster, and when asked why, one of the suspects replied, “just cause.”

The juveniles were taken into custody and transported to New Castle County Police Headquarters, where they were charged as follows:

16-year-old male from Newark

• One misdemeanor count of Assault in the Third Degree
• One misdemeanor count of Reckless Endangering in the Second Degree

The 16-year-old was arraigned before Justice of the Peace Court 11 and released on $2,000 unsecured bail.

14-year-old male from Newark

• One misdemeanor count of Assault in the Third Degree
• One misdemeanor count of Reckless Endangering in the Second Degree
• One misdemeanor count of Conspiracy in the Third Degree

The 14-year-old was arraigned before Justice of the Peace Court 11 and released on $3,000 unsecured bail.